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‘LAWS RESTRICTING FREE SPEECH’ ARE OUR STRENGTH

February 21, 2017

Canada’s Liberal Party is currently spearheading Motion 103 (M-103) through Parliament. Set for debate in April, the motion calls on the government to “recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear” and “condemn Islamophobia and all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination.” The motion also calls for the establishment of a governmental committee to “undertake a study on how the government could reduce or eliminate systemic racism and religious discrimination including Islamophobia.”

As opposed to a bill (or law), M-103 is a motion. Its purpose is to “raise awareness,” drawing attention to an issue (extolling their own virtue is the Liberal Party’s raison d’être, after all). Although M-103’s passage wouldn’t change Canada’s legal system, the motion is intended to become a progenitor or future legislation.

Why do we need new motions or laws to combat “Islamophobia”? The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (CCRF) and the Criminal Code of Canada already protect Muslims and other religious groups. The motion ostensibly seeks to combat “systemic racism against Muslims”, despite zero evidence that Canadian laws systemically target Muslims. And if there was evidence, why doesn’t Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just change the law? He runs the government.

Moreover, “Islamophobia” is an elusively defined term. The proposed motion fails to explain what Islamophobia actually is. “Islam,” after all, is a religion. Would criticizing its tenets be considered a “phobia”?

Late last year, Liberals amended Canada’s Human Rights Act, again adding vaguely-defined terms to the CCRF: “gender expression” and “gender identity.” In effect, it became a human rights violation to refer to a biological male as a “he,” insofar as he self-identified as a woman. Motion-103 is drafted along the same lines.

Anti-Semitism – which is far more prevalent in Canada than Islamophobia – is omitted in toto. According to 2015 police data, Jews were the identified group most targeted by hate crimes in Canada, with the LGBTQ community coming in second.

The CBC – which recently published an editorial entitled, “Anti-Islamophobia motion offers a chance to take a stand against hatred. Why quibble over semantics?” – is yet to print one (just one!) article on the Muslim Imam in Quebec delivering a sermon in which he prayed for the annihilationof the “accursed” Jews.

And if Quebecois Imams don’t make the CBC’s cut for required reporting, a Toronto Mosque, Masjid Toronto, has a story ripe for the picking. An Imam was caught on video calling for the extermination of the Jews, saying, “O Allah! Purify Al-Aqsa Mosque from the filth of the Jews!”

But not to worry, Trudeau has a foolproof plan to combat anti-Semitism via a rapid increase of Muslim refugee admissions to Canada.

Following the recent Quebec Mosque Massacre, a cadre of M-103’s Liberal advocates wasted no time in using the victims’ graves as political fodder. The Globe and Mailpublished an editorialentitled, “Call it ‘Islamophobia’ or ‘anti-Muslim bigotry’, MPs should unanimously condemn it,” connecting President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders to the mass murder of Muslims:

“On January 29, an armed man burst into a Quebec City mosque, shooting dead six Muslim Canadians and injuring 19. Two days earlier, American President Donald Trump, who had campaigned on a promise of “extreme vetting” at America’s borders – primary target: Muslims – signed an executive order banning travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries… it’s no surprise that Muslim Canadians feel under threat. That’s why it’s important for Parliament to pass a resolution expressing solidarity.”

Also argued by The Globe is that Trump’s temporary travel restriction between Pakistan (one of the seven states taken directly from Barack Obama’s list!) and the United States makes Muslim Canadians feel “under threat.” Oddly, I don’t see Motion-103’s author, Iqra Khalid, rushing to return home to Pakistan.

Canada’s Liberal Party and its media are using Khalid – a Pakistani-born Member of Parliament – as their poster child for Islamophobia to push M-103. Bereft of arguments for why we need new government committees contriving laws to “combat Islamophobia,” the left instead dole out a victim to deflect criticism.

Pausing debate on her proposed motion, the Muslim MP stared teary-eyed into the camera while reading mean tweets and comments directed towards her. A headline from The Toronto Star declared: “Liberal MP swamped by hate mail, threats over anti-Islamophobia motion in Commons.”

The Huffington Postposted a similar headline: “Iqra Khalid, Liberal MP, Reads Threats Received Over Anti-Islamophobia Motion.”

The world politics homepage of The Huffington Postechoed the sentiment in a headline: “‘Get Out Of My Country’: Canadian Politician Reads Her Hate Mail In The House Of Commons.”

Apparently there are mean people on the internet. Astounding discoveries!

The CBC wrote, “’Kill her and be done with it’: MP behind anti-Islamophobia motion reads out hate mail.”